Total Sports Durham Fall 2021

Total Sports 1

COVERING LOCAL SPORTS

DURHAM

TOTAL SPORTS DURHAM

IN OUR COMMUNITY Fall 2021

OSHAWA GENERALS RETURN TO BATTLE pg 18

HOCKEY SCOUTS THE SECRET SOCIETY pg 20

TOTALSPORTSDURHAM.CA

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Total Sports 3

TOTAL SPORTS DURHAM

DURHAM REGION

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Amy Knowles durhamtotalsports@gmail.com 416-560-5700 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kelly Leigh Martin Total Sports Quinte Total Sports Durham Region Edition is a free Magazine, published 6 times a year, bi-monthly. Contents Copyright 2015 Total Sports Magazine Inc., No part of this magazine may be reproduced or depicted in print or digital without the written permission of Total Sports Magazine Inc. The opinions expressed by contributors may not be those of Total Sports Magazine. Total Sports Magazine Inc., assumes no liability for submissions or omissions.

Contributors -Total Sports Durham wishes to thank all of our contributors in this fall issue of Total Sports!

Photo Credits: Whitby Sports Hall of Fame, OJHL Images, Amy Deroche, Jeff Roux, Scary mary, Perfect Skating Durham

Cover Photo By Ian Goodall Durhamtotalsports@gmail.com twitter @DTotalSports f: /durhamtotalsports

durham.totalsportsmagazine.ca

FEATURES

Volume 9 Issue 2

INSIDE

4-5 IQ Environmental 6 Get Lit Candles 7 Never Underestimate the Power of Hockey 8 Magwyers Pub - Your Teams Sports Headquarters 9 U-Turns - Why Not Me? 10 Aspire Climbing 11 NiceRink 12 Invest in Higher Grades - Oxford Learning 13 Oxford Learning 14 Action Sports Photography 15 Flying Squirrel 16-17 MOVE 365 18 Striking it Ritch 19 Oshawa Generals Home Schedule 20-21 Hockey Scouts - The Secret Society 22 Elaine Dickson Photography 23 Scary Skate 24-25 Navigating the Landscape of Women’s Hockey 26 Pickering Panthers 27 Vintage Apparel 28 Twig N Biscuit 29 Hockey Stick Man 30 F45 Your Free Pass 31 Coach Kerry Corbett 32 Halenda’s Team Fundraising 33 The Fox Goes Free Pub - Your Sports Headquarters 34-35 Fitness Garage 36 MOVE 365

STRIKING IT RITCH AT THE OHL DRAFT /18

HOCKEY TRYOUTS & SKATING TIPS /23

NAVIGATING THE LANDSCAPE OF WOMEN’S HOCKEY /24

MEET COACH KERRY CORBETT /31

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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF HOCKEY How do you possibly describe the power of hockey?

By Allyson Tufts - Author, Speaker, and Passionate Hockey Mom Is it the moments as a hockey mom when you see your son score his first goal knowing he has been shooting pucks at your garage door for hours?

The look on his face when the team surrounds him to celebrate and you realize he’s created a bond to last a lifetime. You smile to yourself knowing that all the moments that you let him stay outside for that extra hour, under the flood light, has finally paid off. A moment that only you and your young player fully understands. As he cheers and smiles the purest smile because he’s accomplished something with the help of his teammates that nobody can ever take away. That moment that you realize that letting him stay up a little later, in the dark, gave him so much more than the extra hour of sleep ever could.

The Zamboni driver who always takes the time to wave at the little ones who are as excited to see the ice get cleaned as they are to see the game. Is it the coach that has worked all day and raced to get to the rink so his team can see how important it is to be on time?

Is it the moments when dad gets up extra early to take his teenage daughter to practice? This young lady who is now unrecognizable to him when she’s anywhere but on the ice. The moments in the car when she’s all yours, no other chatter from her friends, no boyfriend on her phone, just you and her; just you and her talking about the one love that puberty, boyfriends or years can never take away. It’s the simple experience, the simple love of the sport that you have in common no matter how much she’s growing up. Even though she no longer looks to you for advice or no longer needs you to tuck her in at night.

You drive her, safe in the knowledge that yours will be the face she looks to when she scores that goal; yours will be the eyes she needs when she coughs up the puck, and you will be the one she hugs when her team makes it to the playoffs. Yes the power of hockey, the years it gives a father and daughter when everything else about their relationship feels foreign...if that’s not power I don’t know what is.

This article is the property of Allyson Tufts and is not to be used without her permission.

Or....is it the country that takes such pride in this sport that we call it our own, our number one (1) sport and our nation’s game?

A country that celebrates the coldest days of the year because we know that it means our ponds will freeze and give us hours of endless shinny with our friends and family. Is it the country that looks forward to Christmas because with Christmas comes Boxing Day and with Boxing Day comes the World Juniors? I honestly can’t decide what it is about the sport that makes it so powerful. I guess when a game can bring a country together, a family together and quite simply bring people together the way that hockey does, do we ever really need to question its power?

So, I guess it’s as simple as this, “Don’t Ever Underestimate the Power of Hockey!”

To learn more about Allyson Tufts or to purchase the book, please visit www.lessonsfrombehindtheglass.com.

You can also purchase the book at amazon.ca.

Buy the book at Amazon

Amazon.ca/LESSONS-BEHINDGLASS-Journey-Hockey/ dp/1686333498

Check out Allyson’s video on YouTube

- Allyson Tufts: Lessons From Behind the Glass

Perhaps it’s the spectator who comes to the games faithfully every week, horn in one hand, cowbell in the other to cheer on the team they love so much. They come to watch because they know on that night their biggest worry is if their team wins or loses. For those 60 minutes there is no thought of their bad day at work, or the job they’ve lost, the spouse they’re fighting or worse, the illness they are fighting. For this night it’s all about the escape of hockey, that wonderful sport that carries any passionate spectator to a place that leaves no room for anything else but the outcome of the game.

Maybe it’s the glow of the tv across our beloved country on Saturday nights. The moments spent in the warmth of your home curled up with a bag of chips and blanket watching Hockey Night in Canada. Is it the volunteer that wakes up at ungodly hours, when the snow is flying, to get to the early morning practices to teach our young superstars how to skate?

Visit LessonsFromBehindTheGlass.Com

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Sports Column

By Randy Uens

U Turns: A View on Sports “Why Not Me”

As a father of a dedicated young, female athlete, I have become acutely aware of issues in women’s sports and the trials and tribulations that these sports must endure as they mature and morph into professional sports.

It’s not that I wasn’t aware before I became a father but I am definitely more empathetic as I see the daily dedication and passion my daughter and her teammates put into their sport. For my daughter, hockey is what drives her everyday to get better and to pursue the highest levels she can achieve. The question is, what will those levels be?

I am blessed to have two kids that have developed incredible work ethics and have a burning desire to succeed. Each one has set goals and worked hard to achieve those goals. When my son was drafted to the NHL in this past draft I was obviously excited for him and pleased that this milestone validated the work he had put in up to this point. At the same time, I felt a little sad for my daughter. In our gym at our house (our garage) we have a number of inspirational quotes on the walls. One of them is “Why not Me“ Great quote, but may have more pertinence to my daughter than my son in many ways.

When she was eight or nine she asked me if she could one day play professional hockey. It pained me that I didn’t really have an answer for her and all I could say was “I hope so”.

Women’s hockey is at a crossroads. Although professional leagues have been established, neither league has proven to be sustainable. The CWHL (Canadian Women’s Hockey League) operated for a number of years in a manner that was more akin to amateur hockey than professional hockey.

Lack of funding and support forced the number one elite league in women’s hockey worldwide to toil in relative obscurity for 51 weeks of the year only to be highlighted on TSN for the final one game championship. This lack of support and instability led the league to cease operations in 2018.

The NWHL (National Women’s Hockey League) was and is the U.S. based women’s professional league that competed with the CWHL. Founded and operated by former NCAA player Dani Rylan, the league has struggled.

Initially, as the weaker of the two leagues and secondly, Ms. Rylan has been a polarizing figure in the sport. You have to admire her pit bull type determination but the business model traditionally lacked collaboration with the players and had major sustainability issues.

When the CWHL ceased operations the door was left open for the NWHL to take the lead towards solidifying itself as the penultimate women’s league in the world. Unfortunately, the league has not been able to develop consensus from the elite players and despite a recent resurgence in publicity has failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity or gather significant support.

The PWHPA (Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association) was created when the CWHL shut down. Most of the top women’s players in the world are playing inside this touring event driven association. Recent success in attracting significant sponsorship money as well as having three NHL teams align themselves with the PWHPA shows that there is hope to unify and solidify the women’s game. It will take the NHL to step in and help create a WNBA type scenario for this all to workout. Recent events leave me

optimistic for this outcome.

This struggle in elite women’s hockey illustrates the ongoing issues of women’s sports, especially women’s team sports. Individual women’s sports such as tennis and golf have allowed women to develop very lucrative and rewarding professional careers. Despite this fact, these tour events in tennis and golf are still less funded than men’s events and the lack of “junior” tours to allow for expanded player development beyond the elite players is limited therefore reducing opportunities for advancement to the professional ranks.

For professional women’s team sports it has been even more dire, however there are signs of improvement. The WNBA is by far the most progressive women’s league in the world allowing its players to make a living off their sport and to be truly professional. Through support by elite professional male clubs, women’s soccer is seeing growth and success globally and looks to be approaching a point where many of the players can be considered true professionals relying solely on their soccer incomes while being paid at a rate of pay that is sustainable.

Women’s hockey is not there yet. Most if not all of these professional women players rely on part-time jobs or carry on full-time positions while trying to maintain their professional hockey aspirations. It will take the NHL to step in and turn this into a truly professional league at some point.

The challenges for professional women’s sports are clearly based on finance.

Lack of sponsorship and limited support from mainstream broadcasting will continue to hamper growth until someone steps up and markets the leagues appropriately and works to develop the women’s game.

Recent events brought on by the pandemic illustrate this issue of finance colliding with development of women’s sports. The World Junior Hockey tournament has become a staple at Christmas time for hockey fans across the globe. This global juggernaut was a blip on the hockey radar thirty plus years ago, but TSN and Hockey Canada helped propel it to become a money making machine.

The men’s World juniors is an under 20 (U20) event as it corresponds with the NHL and junior age groups. For women there is no U20 championship. Their World Juniors is the U18 event. Next to the women’s World championships, it is the biggest opportunity for women hockey players to not only play for their countries but to play the best in the world.

During the pandemic it was decided to move the men’s U20 tournament to play in a “bubble” in Edmonton and Red Deer and go ahead with the tournament. The women’s U18 was slated for early January in Sweden and was cancelled due to concerns surrounding travel and the pandemic. The real concern was cost. The men’s tournament is a moneymaker. With no fans, the women’s tournament would have definitely lost money.

This was a missed opportunity. If you want to promote the women’s game you must support it. The perfect scenario would have been to play the women’s tournament inside the same bubble and televise the games, leveraging the TSN infrastructure already in place. This would have promoted the women’s game as well as demonstrated that the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) and all of the other global regulatory bodies were truly supportive of the women’s game. It was a real failure by all involved.

International Women’s Day was March 8 and March being National Women’s History Month, I think it’s important for us to reflect on how we can help improve the opportunities for women’s sports. The greatest thing a sports fan can do is to watch women’s sports, support them at every opportunity and ultimately appreciate the level of athleticism. Don’t compare them to male sports because they are different.

Once you watch the female game in any sport, basketball, rugby, soccer or hockey, you begin to appreciate the nuances of the sport and truly appreciate the athleticism of these athletes. Give women’s sports a chance and tune in when it is on TV, or go catch a game when they are playing.

This support will grow their game and expand the opportunities for young women everywhere. Once we do this, these young athletes can stop asking “Why Not Me” for the wrong reasons and focus on “Why Not Me “ the way the motivational quote was intended.

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ut how your child is doing in school this year. ntact the Oxford IN Learning INVEST HIGHER GRADES ation nearest AND you TODAY! WIN AT SCHOOL rades. All Subjects.

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Getting good grades in school is a lot like being on a sports team. At the beginning of a new season, athletes don’t necessarily have the best skills. They might be out of practice and not quite ready to succeed this year. To perform at their best, athletes need exercises, warmups, and drills. But most of all, athletes need a good coach to show them what skills they need to practise and what steps they need to take to improve to the level they wish to achieve.

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Learning’s programs are an investment with a payout of better grades, improved thinking skills, increased motivation, and academic confidence that your child can rely on not just this school year but for every school year to come. After all, learning is a lifelong proposition, so it makes sense that a tutoring program would not only equip a child with better learning skills that they can use now, but skills that they will rely on for the rest of their lives.

Pickering Whitby good tutor is a lot like a good coach.

81 AWhether 647.492.7197 289.274.9801 in the classroom on a hockey rink, both tutors and coaches help children improve fundamental skills to reach their goals. Both teach discipline and encourage children to tap into their inner motivation to find whatever drives them to succeed.

Just like hamstrings, biceps, and abs, the brain is a muscle. It needs practice and fine-tuning to function at the top of its game. Skating skills don’t get better for hockey players without training, and neither do learning skills. While weekly soccer, hockey, or dance practice helps athletes develop better form, regular tutoring sessions help students develop better fundamental learning skills.

It’s the kind of investment that translates into a better future for your child, and what parent wouldn’t invest in that?

Let Oxford Learning help coach your child to become a capable, active thinker equipped with stronger academic skills and the confidence to meet challenges head-on and with success, no matter where life takes them.

For young athletes, it can be discouraging when they feel that they are not playing That’s money well spent. well or cannot score a goal. It can be disheartening to see your child struggling to achieve something they want. The same thing can happen to students at school. Just as you might invest in extra coaching sessions to help

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ACTION SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Sports Action Photography is about capturing special

sports moments, similar to Portrait Photography that captures special life moments. Sports action happens in seconds, if not split seconds, and once it happens, it may not be repeated again. There is no rehearsal, there is no setup, the moment just happens.

A great sports action photo captures the emotion of the athlete at a specific moment of action. Captured moments of these are a child with a smile as she dived to make a Try; or a Judoka’s face realising he was about to be thrown down; or a boxer smiling at his opponent’s short reach.

In order to capture these moments, the photographer needs to be at the right place, the right position and at the right time.

Moreover, using the right equipment and the right settings will ensure the moments are captured with high quality.

Ang Tek Gie Photography Ang Tek Gie Photography is owned and operated by Tek Ang, based in Oshawa, Ontario, the traditional territory of the Mississaugas Of Scugog Island First Nation. Tek Ang has been involved in various sports since he was in middle school, from competitive swimming, boxing, cycling and Rugby.

Rugby has been the longest competitive sport that Tek has been involved in for over 20 years, both as player as well as club management for Oshawa Vikings RFC (Vikings Rugby Club).

It is through this sport that Tek developed his Sports Action Photography skills and is still one of the club’s photographers.

Tek’s involvement in sports provides him with a unique perspective from the eyes of an athlete. Tek is able to capture the action and emotion of a sports moment that results in elevated action images that makes the athletes appear like their professional sports heroes.

Tek’s portfolio (https://angtekgie.photography) includes Toronto Arrows, Toronto Wolfpack, Rugby Ontario, Durham College Rugby, Judo Ontario and various sports organizations.

Tek’s photos are regularly featured on Vikings Rugby Club’s social media, Toronto Arrows’ social media and Rugby Ontario’s social media. Tek’s photos have also been featured on Durham Region News, Ontario Rugby League’s social media and toronto.com.

Contact Information: Tek Ang 905-243-3282 info@angtekgie.photography

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By Jeff Roux B.P.E.; CSCS “Be Curious, not judgemental.” – Ted Lasso (probably not Walt Whitman) The world of health, fitness and performance is filled with ideas, philosophies and opinions. In most cases (I hope) it is also backed up by science.

Science has taken a bit of a hit lately in this new post-pandemic world. In many cases peer reviewed research and studies are well behind real-life experiences and demonstrable results before they become accepted as facts.

I never feel that I have the absolute answer to anything. I have my own opinions, formed from my own education, experiences and learning opportunities along the way. In the internet world there is plenty of information available, the difficulty is being able to sort through it enough to separate fact from fiction and information from misinformation, or even worse, dis-information.

Information is data. It is raw, unadulterated and non-discriminatory.

What happens to it next, is not.

Misinformation, outlines facts in a way that skews a narrative in a specific direction but is not always representative of what those facts actually say.

Disinformation is taking that data and manipulating it to intentionally mislead people into an alternative decision.

These days, it is a lot to decipher.

Always Be information. Once you can confidently arrive in this place, no matter where that opinion lands, it will be the correct one, for you.

Curiosity makes athletes better learners and coaches, better teachers. As soon as you think you know everything, you stop being curious, you stop learning, and you stop getting better.

One of the best shows available to watch these days is on Apple + called, Ted Lasso. If you had not heard of it before, it certainly hit everyone’s radar when it cleaned up at the Emmy Awards. Ted is an American Football Coach hired to coach a Premiere League Soccer team, initially with the expectation that the team will fail so that the newly divorced owner can get back at her cheating ex-husband who loves the team and lost it to her in the divorce settlement.

But Ted is not your usual coach. He may not know much about football/soccer, but he knows people. Ted’s gift is understanding what people want and need to make them happy; he helps them see these things more clearly in themselves and in each other.

He is curious about what makes each individual person tick, what motivates them. He also helps them understand this in themselves better as well. This is a true coaching secret weapon.

As Ted’s positive energy and spreads, a true culture shift begins to evolve the team to a place where the outcomes of the game, become less important than the emotional growth of the players, which then ultimately leads to more successful outcomes for the team. Funny how that works.

In my opinion, this model of kindness, empathy, and building a positive culture and atmosphere will create a winning environment.

The best way to handle this information overload, is to ask questions, to consider alternative sides of a discussion and most importantly, to be curious.

The A-B-Cs of coaching: A – Always B – Be C – Curious and, A – Always B – Be C – Coaching Curiosity starts with asking questions and considering as much information as possible before establishing an opinion. Not, simply considering enough information until you are convinced that what you already believe is true, but until you know that what you have learned is a true interpretation of the

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Be Curious For coaches to understand people and players better, curiosity is a game changer. Ask questions to uncover the things that make our athletes tick, the way they learn best and how they respond to stress and competition. Try to understand why they play the game and how to motivate them to want to play it better, rather than simply expecting them to work harder and improve their skill level because we told them to and/or because the coach or the parents want them to. We need to find out what motivates them, how they learn best and try to uncover their weak links (skill, movement, confidence, knowledge, experience etc.) in order to set them up for success.

SPOILER ALERT: In one of the best episodes of the series so far, Ted takes on a challenge from the Team’s former owner, Rupert, to play a game of darts, with specific significant stakes on the line. Darts are typically more of an English specialty than a North American one, however, during this game it becomes more and more clear that Ted has played this game before. He begins to unravel a story about his childhood, about playing darts with his dad and about being curious…

Coaches get better by finding new ways to connect with their athletes and new ways to help them develop their skills. Athletes get better by challenging themselves to keep learning, keep practicing and never settling for what they already know, or what they can already do. Being curious, having an open mind, and wanting to learn is the first step to making it happen. The next step is commitment, consistency, and patience.

Coaching is teaching. It is about building better people, not just better players or better athletes. If we approach coaching from an athlete perspective rather than on outcome perspective, the outcomes will often become a positive collateral benefit when you win, and a learning opportunity when you don’t, rather than a disappointment. If we remain curious, and ask the right questions, the best coaches will be able to accomplish all of these things. Then we will have truly hit the bullseye.

Ted Lasso: “Barbecue Sauce”. (If you’ve seen it, you’ll know. If not, see it!)

Ted Lasso: “You know Rupert, guys have underestimated me my entire life. And for years I never understood why. It used to really bother me. But then one day I was driving my little boy to school and I saw this quote painted on the wall there that said “Be curious.

Not Judgmental.” I like that.

“So, I get back in my car and I’m driving to work and all of sudden it hits me. All them fellas who used to belittle me, not a single one of them was curious. You know, they thought they had everything figured out. They judged everything, and they judged everyone.”

“And I realized that their underestimating me, who I was had nothing to do with it. Because if they were curious, they would have asked questions. You know, questions like, have you played a lot of darts, Ted? Which I would have answered. Yes sir. Every Sunday afternoon at a sports bar with my father from age 10 to 16 when he passed away.”

Arrogance and curiosity are often polar opposites as people who think they know the most, close their minds to curiosity and refuse to learn new ways to improve themselves and other around them.

As Ted carefully goes on to dismantle and embarrass Rupert for his arrogance, at the same time he brings his point home about curiosity by putting the bullies from Ted’s past and his present, and Rupert, in their place with a game (and wager) winning Bullseye.

“Knowledge isn’t free, you have to pay attention.” – Richard Feynman -

r more information

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STRIKING IT “RITCH” AT THE OHL DRAFT

Being in the OHL as a rookie is a journey all on its own, add in being the 2nd overall draft selection entering the first hockey season in Ontario in almost two years, and it becomes an entirely new giant.

Following so many missed games, practices and just development opportunities in general, Calum Ritchie couldn’t be more excited to join the Oshawa Generals. “I am so honoured and excited to officially be part of the Oshawa Generals family,” Ritchie said. “I am looking so forward to starting the season with my new team and meeting all of the awesome Generals fans!”

The Oakville, Ont., native was the 2nd overall pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection this past June. With the cancellation of the 20202021 season, the Generals were awarded the 2nd overall pick following the first-ever OHL Draft Lottery.

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking its hold on Ontario through 2021, Ritchie has been doing whatever he can to keep growing as a hockey player. He spent the 2019-2020 season as the captain of the Oakville Rangers, and in 32 games he scored 22 goals and added 40 assists.

During his first taste of Generals’ hockey, Ritchie met fans’ expectations of him at training camp, finishing amongst the team lead in points. Ritchie also proved to the OHL it’s his time to shine, scoring five points in his first two games of exhibition play against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

“I think Calum will have success in the OHL and beyond because he has great vision and instincts. Combine that with a 6’2 frame, and you have the makings of a real player,” said General Manager Roger Hunt. “Cal will make subtle smart plays that go together with some of the highlight reel plays he is very capable of making. He has an intelligence and quiet confidence around him. For some, there may be a lot of pressure entering their first season – or even the pressure to put on a good show for the fans who waited so

long for hockey, but for Ritchie, he’s taking it all in, and taking it all head on.”

The excitement doesn’t stop at Roger Hunt as Ritchie has quickly become known as the guy who always has a big smile on his face.

“I’m feeling really excited heading into my first season with the Gens,” Ritchie said. “Everyone, from my billet family, my teammates, the staff, has made me feel so welcome. I feel more than ready to compete at this level and make an impact to help the team win.”

As a highly touted addition to the roster, fans aren’t the only one with expectations for the rookie.

“My personal goals for this season are to get better every day,” he said. “To contribute in any way to help the team win. I want to win a Memorial Cup with this team, and I want to play in the NHL one day.”

“This is where the hard work starts”

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HOCKEY SCOUTS

By Puck Chaser

The Secret Society

Overview We have all seen them.

Men and women usually dressed in dark coats with a handful of crumpled notes and programs, clutching a coffee and weaving their way through the rink before navigating toward a dark corner with a good sight line, but out of the sight of the main crowd.

This may be a bit of a stereotype, but much of the world that hockey scouts live in is a mystery to many hockey parents. We see them at the rinks and wonder what they are looking for in a player or what makes one player stand out from another.

Others think, ”That’s a cool job, I could do that.”

Be careful what you wish for …

“Hockey has got to be your passion,” said one NHL scout, who wishes to remain anonymous. “There are lots of lonely nights and long travels to deal with that are mixed in with some great times and rewarding outcomes.”

We compiled responses from 20 different scouts and coaches that scout for teams in the NHL, OHL, CJHL and NCAA teams about their unique job. Many wished to remain anonymous, which we allowed in order to get more candid responses to our questions.

The Job

Scouts come from varying backgrounds, ranging from former players — from the NHL, junior and college ranks — to former coaches, including some with limited hockey playing experience.

Believe it or not, there is even a former referee. Some have scouted for over 30 years and others only a couple.

The common thread for these scouts is that they are passionate about hockey. They have to love the game because although scouting sounds glamorous, there are some difficult times.

“My friends see me on the stage at the draft schmoozing with players and GM’s but what they don’t see are the lists of cheap hotels, airports, car rentals and long nights away from family that do get tiresome as the years progress,” one NHL scout said. “ I would never complain about the job because I love what I do but it is not as easy as it looks.”

Most of the scouts we talked to echoed these sentiments. Many talked about the grind and the research that goes in to doing job effectively.

“You can’t have an opinion unless you have the information,” another NHL scout said.

The path to becoming a scout is not defined. Most have some serious hockey backgrounds but others are experienced, just not at the highest of levels.

“You can’t just apply to be a scout usually,” one OHL scout said.

“Usually it’s through relationships and networking that you get these jobs. “ The scouts obviously have to possess a solid hockey background but it really comes down to trust. The GM’s and head scouts need to trust that these regional scouts are in line with what they are looking for and understand what they value in a player.

Central Scouting echoed this sentiment.

“The best example of this has been the Soo Greyhounds from when Kyle Dubas was there,” Seidel said. “They wanted to play a quick puck possession, skill game without a huge reliance on size or toughness.

The staff went out and drafted that type of player that fit that style …”

Analytics helps with some of that decision-making. Certain teams have placed a greater emphasis on analytics than others in recent years, but the consensus is that the analytics provided are just another tool utilized by scouts and team management to evaluate players.

“Analytics provide a tool for greater in-depth player analysis but cannot be the sole criteria. It is a tool to create a tangible case to support the “eye test” and to verify the criteria rankings,” said one scout. “Conversely, analytics provides data that forces all scouts to reassess certain evaluation processes and criteria. Sometimes what you see in a player does not actually materialize on the ice in a consistent manner.”

Mistakes are made and every tool is needed by the scouting community to mitigate the risk of a wrong evaluation in scouting.

Mistakes cost jobs.

The hardest part of the job is not picking the best players in the moment but how those players will project out. The business of evaluating teenagers is an inexact science and a very difficult task.

Consensus among all of the scouts is that to look at a 15-year-old kid and project out to how good they will be at 19 or 20, or projecting how an 18 year old kid will be at 22 or 23 is the most difficult aspect of the job.

Character, upside, hockey IQ maturity and intelligence are all key factors only discovered through thorough ground work and multiple views of a player.

“I guess that is one of my pet peeves,” said one OHL scout. “There are a number of media scouting lists or Internet pundits that put out lists and unfortunately they haven’t put in the time to truly evaluate players. Parents get wrapped up by these sources of information.

Even the well known media types that focus on the NHL draft are not seeing the players as often as we do.”

One NHL scout went on to say, “That is the biggest mistake made by scouts. You cannot listen to outside influences. You cannot walk into a rink with a preconceived notion about a player because you may miss something or miss someone else.”

Another scout said, “We must battle biases and stick to factual evidence. Too often we see scouting with your ears rather than your eyes.”

Mark Seidel echoed those comments, “I despise when you hear scouts say that a kid is a bad kid or has character issues. Unless I have personal knowledge of an incident I discount it. Do your own research and make your own evaluation.”

All of these statements speak to the need for scouts to form their own opinions.

How do we decide what we are looking for?

“I’ve been at the draft table and had to fight for a player that I believed in,” another scout said. “We really stick our necks out if it is a player that can be a difference maker, but you have to spend the time (evaluating the player) to be sure before you do that.”

What Are Scouts Looking For?

Former NHL and current OHL Scout Mark Seidel of North American

So much of the desired skills and attributes in a hockey player are built around team objectives, needs and biases. In general, most scouts will provide the cliché answers — speed, agility, compete level, hockey IQ, size, positional understanding, creativity, athleticism, aggression, physicality, hockey sense, maturity and decision making.

Continued next page ...

“In my experience, the good organizations provide specific criteria for their scouting staffs.” said one former NHL and now CHL coach.

“Teams will usually rank the various skills in order of importance to their organization (i.e. skating, skill, sense, size, compete level). Each team will have slight differences in preferences but these rankings become an essential element when building your draft list.”

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“Have your kids do what they love, support their goals and enjoy the ride.“ What is interesting is the negative things that the scouts said they looked for or other attributes that were unusual.

A number of scouts spoke to the attributes of mobility and patience with defenceman. The ability to utilize their edges and escape to make plays and create zone exits is critical to the modern defenceman.

Another interesting theme was the discussion of size in goaltenders.

On average NHL goalie are 6-foot-2. A premium has been placed on size in recent years due to the amount of traffic in front of the net in today’s hockey. Despite these statements, no goalie over 6-foot-5 has ever won a Stanley Cup. Technical understanding of the position is important and a number of scouts discussed the preference of athletic goalies as opposed to “shot blockers” who often lack the athleticism to make adjustments.

The one point that really resonated consistently was the topic of body language and negative team behaviour. This was the one trait that most scouts drew a line on.

“Character and the ability to be a team player is paramount,” one scout said. “If we do not draft good people, we do not create a winning culture within our organization.”

Body language is perhaps one of the biggest indicators of this intangible.

“We watched a couple of first-round kids fall into the second round because of bad body language and questions around their character,” one OHL scout mentioned. “If a player pouts or slams his stick on the way to the bench, it draws into question not only his character but his mental toughness. “ NCAA scouts have very similar tasks but their roles are quite unique in that they must manage their duties as associate coaches as well as act as primary scouts. The NCAA does not allow teams to utilize outside scouts to ensure integrity and fair play. Most of the NCAA coaches shared similar thoughts about desired skill sets, character and attributes as the other scouts. The one difference was the focus on academics.

“Obviously we need good students,” one NCAA scout said. “Thats a given. If the player is not a good student they will have difficulties managing the workload of being a student athlete. “

NCAA vs. CHL Discussion

Traditionally the best players in the world are not choosing the NCAA route, but that is definitely changing. Over 30% of the NHL is coming from the NCAA now. A majority of those players are American but we are starting to see some elite Canadian prospects make that decision to play NCAA. Cale Makar and Alex Newhook are probably the most notable players recently.

“Some NHL scouts have confided to me that they think the NCAA is now the best amateur league in the world,” said one NCAA coach.

“Most of that has to do with the number of older players in the league but also the influx of high end talent deciding to go that route. If an 18 year old can thrive in that NCAA environment there is a very good chance he will translate to pro very well.”

Most of that discussion surrounds the speed of the NCAA game .The older, more mature players create a very pro style compared to CHL, which is, composed of players between 16-20 years old.

A former NHL coach said, “Both are wonderful options. Traditionally, the NCAA was for the so-called “late bloomers” while the CHL tended to cater towards the higher end, instant impact players. This thinking has changed for the better as both routes cater to all types of players.

It is largely based on a players interest, opportunity and finding the ideal situation for the player and the person.”

Photo by Kevin Raposo / OJHL Images Pictured Wendel Clark

Both leagues are heavily scouted. The one caveat to realize is that as a Canadian player you cannot play in the CHL if you choose the NCAA routes. This forces you to play in the CJHL or the USHL before attending school.

Although these leagues are scouted, players are often not taken as high in the draft or are sometimes undervalued and taken in later rounds.

“It is true we see players either slide down in the draft or get taken in their second year of eligibility because they chose the NCAA path versus the CHL path,” said one scout.

Many scouts confirmed these thoughts as they found it more difficult to compare a player playing in those Tier 2 junior leagues. There are more intangibles at play and it’s difficult to compare players to other players, not to mention that there are fewer views of these players in these leagues.

“This possibility of being drafted later than expected is one aspect Canadian players must realize when they choose this route,” said one scout. “The upside for these Canadian NCAA players is that they end up getting a little more time to develop and often get second chances through free agency.”

The scout went on to say, “NHL teams like taking NCAA players especially middle rounds as they are investments that they do not have to spend money right away compared to a CHL player. When you draft a CHL player, decisions on signing that player need to be made much sooner.”

Advice To Parents

In talking to these scouts it is clear that they all have stories of finding particular players or seeing late bloomersexcel. Most of the advice the scouts offered to hockey parents centred around patience and enjoying each moment of the journey.

One CHL coach said, “Don’t rush the process and understand that your son/daughter are the one driving the bus, not you! Support your children in every way imaginable but be a parent first and always. Please do not put sport ahead of all other life priorities.”

“Do not get caught up with the “right path” because there is none,” another NCAA coach said. “I’ve seen 14 year olds considered NHL locks that never make it and I’ve seen 19 year olds that were told they could never play Division 1 hockey make the NHL.” “Have your kids do what they love, support their goals and enjoy the ride. “ A CHL scout/coach said, “Players develop at different rates and in different settings. To improve, a kid needs to play. Minutes are more important than the level or league they play at. Development requires teaching thus the importance of coaching can never be overlooked.”

Finally, the scouts were asked if it bothers them when someone at the rink asks questions.

One scout said “absolutely not. “I enjoy talking to the parents and spectators, but wait until the end of a period or the end of the game.

If you see me and you have a question, I always like to talk about hockey and most scouts would feel the same.”

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HOCKEY TRYOUT AND SCOUTING TIPS

By Mary Giacalone “Scary Mary” Head Instructor/Owner of Scary Skate Inc. Be a Supportive Teammate - Your character plays a very important role in how successful you will be as a hockey player.

Coaches, scouts, programs, will always look for players of strong character and leadership qualities. Whether you are helping a struggling teammate or just giving an honest effort every night, these are qualities that will never be overlooked. There are countless times where a scout will recognize a player’s skill but will give him bad marks for his lack of character. So just remember to be a team player and that you need your teammates to be successful.

Body Language - Your body language on the ice can be a dead giveaway about your character in a hockey game. Instead of hanging your head low after a mistake or slamming your stick on the ice after a missed scoring opportunity, just go out there and be ready for your next shift. Players that casually walk up to face-offs and come off the ice slowly after a shift will always appear to be lazy in the eyes of a scout. Scouts want to see a confident prospect, not a player who deflates after making a mistake.

Yes we are at that craziest time of the year… Each year leading up to our tryouts we get similar questions regarding exactly what coaches look for in the players they select. Unfortunately, scouting is not an exact science and you will rarely find 2 scouts/coaches that entirely agree on a player. Summarizing this process would be nearly impossible.

Have FUN! – Just like in life, your best performances will always be when you are enjoying yourself. You will not excel in anything you don’t enjoy. Although you are competing against your peers at the tryout, you can enjoy yourself and make a few friends in the process.

Scary Mary says see you at the rink ...

With that said, we put together a list of “Tryout Tips” that we feel would be useful for any young hockey player looking for advice on how to stand out amongst his peers. These are very relevant to the upcoming tryouts, but can be applied to any type of hockey competition as your child gets older. Please share these with your son/daughter in context to the upcoming tryouts.

Hockey Tryout and Scouting Tips Play to Your Strength – don’t try to become a player that you are not. Identify what you are best at as a hockey player and prove it.

Example: If you are a defensive defenseman, then don’t try to rush the puck all of the time. Do what you do best.

Get Noticed! – Don’t just blend in with the crowd. You must do something positive to get the attention of a scout. Please don’t think that only means scoring a goal or getting on the scoreboard.

Some examples of getting noticed (positively) are: • making a nice pass • always finishing your checks • being a vocal leader with your teammates • always working hard on your back-checks • winning face-offs • making simple/smart plays with the puck • playing a 2-way hockey game • scoring a goal Make every shift/game count – Most of the time, you never know who might be watching you from the stands. Just make sure that you are consistently giving 100% every game or practice and you will never have to worry about this tip. That doesn’t mean that you should be nervous and think every game is your most important one. It just means that you should be consistent and always give your best effort. You cannot control how you play every game but you can always control your effort.

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NAVIGATING THE LANDSCAPE OF WOMENS HOCKEY

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A Parents Guide

By: Randy Uens So you have enrolled your little girl in hockey. Like every good parent you want her to experience the joy of playing team sports, understanding commitment, work ethic and camaraderie of sports. All very pertinent and altruistic reasons for having your little girl start to play the great game of hockey. You can’t help thinking to yourself, “What if she is really good at this?”. Where do we play? What level do we play at? There are no right or wrong answers here. I’ll Try to pass along the best information I can supply based on my experience coaching and following girls and women’s hockey for over 25 years now.

Do I enroll my daughter in boys or girls hockey to start?

Before you start here, I recommend that you consider putting your little player into a figure skating program or Learn to Skate program. The program should be run by your local figure skating club or a very accomplished power skating instructor with experience working with little ones. A strong skating foundation is critical to this decision. And it needs to be fun. If it isn’t fun...your daughter will not want to continue.

The decision to play boys or girls is both a social and a regional decision. Socially, girls enjoy playing more with other girls, especially when they are younger. If you have a strong regional girls program this may be the best way to get your daughter hooked on the game. Unfortunately, there are still many regions that do not have robust girls programs and often girls do not have many options.

This next point depends a lot on your little player. Many women’s hockey advocates will insist that you need to keep your daughter in girl’s hockey to help grow the game. I totally agree with that sentiment. The challenge is that you want your little player to have fun, but you also want them to be challenged. If your player is very motivated to play, having her play mites or Tykes with the boys is a very good option. The boys are often more puck focused in general at this age and the girls learn to be more offensive. Girls (this is a generalization) tend to be way more concerned with defending their net then boys are. Girls who play with the boys will often get placed on defence because they naturally tend to gravitate to that position. In a perfect world where everyone had lots of money and time, you could enroll your daughter in both boys and girl’s hockey programs at that early age of 4, 5, 6. That is not reasonable for many families. The best advice is to evaluate your daughter’s abilities. Evaluate the importance of the social aspect for your daughter and find a good coach and program, whether it’s boys or girls associations.

By the time your young player starts playing on a rep team you can make further decisions about continuing with the boys or staying with the girls. There have been a number of successful women’s players that played with the boys well into Bantam and even midget. More goalies than skaters, but nonetheless the numbers may surprise you. Often these players develop particular skills that definitely give them some advantages over those girls that play girls hockey right through. You definitely notice that many of the girls that played boys hockey are more experienced at protecting the puck, especially in small areas and tend to have a better understanding of the offensive strategies of the game at an earlier age. Often the stronger girls that stick with the girl’s game become puck rushers and dominate games singlehandedly. A lot of that experience depends on the caliber and region your daughter plays.

Most of this will level out by the time they reach bantam. One of the consistent downsides is the tendency for boys’ coaches to put their young female players on defence or never encouraging them to be offensive. Often the girls playing defence in boys games tend to be stay at home defensemen and never transition out of this when they move back to elite women’s hockey. Women’s hockey has evolved into a very fast five player attacking game where the defence is activated even more than male hockey. The amount of strong offensive defense is limited comparatively to men’s

hockey. Some of that is the tendency for many young girls to be very focused and conscientious of their own zone and the fear of getting caught out of position. Taking risks is sometimes difficult for many young female players.

Fifteen to twenty years ago it would be noticed that the majority of elite women’s players played boys hockey for most if not all of their minor hockey careers transitioning around bantam to girls hockey. Now that is in the minority. The level of play and the level of coaching at the minor level for girls has improved exponentially.

Most of the NCAA and USports players have come through the girl’s ranks. This is not a scientifically backed statement with quantitative data. This is simply one guy’s hockey opinion. By the time the girls reach prep school or junior, the elite girls that played strictly girls and the elite girls that played strictly boys are almost on par across the board. No one stands out to the point where you say…”That girl played boys hockey longer than that one”. That era has gone. You may see certain tendencies like aggressiveness or puck protection, but in general it is negligible. As a parent, be agnostic to girls or boys hockey. Find a situation where your daughter is happy and comfortable and having fun. The second decision is to find a strong program with great coaching. And finally, make sure she can skate.

How do I get seen by a college or university?

This is a challenge for many girls but it’s actually more of a challenge for the coaches of the schools. The NCAA does not allow teams to have scouts. The coaching staff manages all scouting. U Sports programs may have some informal scouting done by parttime regional scouts but often due to a lack of resources, they too are limited to scouting by committee by the coaching staff. These coaches rely heavily on word of mouth, showcase tournaments and recruitment tools such as hockey schools and summer hockey programs to identify players. This is why it is so important for elite junior and prep school programs to have all of their games on streaming services such as Hockey TV. This provides the coaches the opportunity to watch games remotely and develop a broader understanding of the players out there. The NCAA changed the recruiting timelines within the last couple of years to eliminate underage recruiting. This has made it much better for the families and the teams to make sure they are making well-informed decisions about their futures.

Should I get a Family Adviser?

The old adage “If you are good enough they will find you” holds true in many circumstances. If you are playing in an elite league with elite players, most likely someone will see you. The challenge is to be seen enough to get the confidence from the program that you have the skills to play at the next level. A good family adviser can assist with getting the player in front of teams. Often these advisers are only as good as their contacts. Is the adviser well connected and respected by the various teams? Do they have an established track record of opening doors? These are key questions to ask before paying fees for their services, which can get costly. $2500 - $10 000 is not unusual.

Some of this initial groundwork does not require an adviser and can be done by the player. Accumulate some game video and create a highlight reel. Write a cover letter to the schools that you are interested in and let them know you are interested in attending their school. Specify if you are looking for a scholarship or would consider being a walk on. Depending on your age, you may not get a response (See graphic of timelines) . Teams do appreciate these types of letters. Some receive more than others and may or may not reply, but it is a worthwhile endeavour for the young players to get themselves into the discussion. It must come from the player.

Teams appreciate a player taking the initiative to reach out.

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NCAA OR U SPORTS Which Route

is Better?

This is where the waters get murky and the discussions become filled with biases and misinformation around the lobbies of hockey rinks. In male hockey the traditional Canadian route was to play CHL. Once you played CHL you were not eligible for NCAA hockey. If you do not play pro, you take a school package from the junior team and play Canadian University (U Sports hockey). Male players in the U.S. have always gravitated more to the NCAA route. More Canadians are taking this NCAA route by playing “Tier 2 Junior A” to maintain their NCAA eligibility. Cale Makar being the most noticeable of late.

For women it is not so defined. NCAA teams play U Sports teams quite often early in the season in exhibition games. NCAA teams win the majority of these games but the games are very closely contested. Generally speaking, the NCAA attracts more (but not all) of the top players in Canada. This decision often depends on the player’s needs or wants. Many high-end Francophone players will stay and play in Canada for language reasons. Some players want the “big school “ U.S. experience. As for academics, In Canada the university academics are very strong in every institution as the schools are more controlled and government funded. In the U.S. it varies greatly. There are private schools, state schools, Ivy Schools, Small IVY schools, State Ivy Schools etc. etc. To navigate this takes some due diligence. The player must take their time and be sure the academics are strong and that the courses will be recognized back in Canada should they decide to do their post graduate in Canada.

The biggest consideration is cost. First bit of misinformation that is out there that I would like to clarify. IVY SCHOOLS DO NOT OFFER ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS. These schools among others operate via financial aid to provide subsidies. Some academic scholarships are available but are very competitive. Many of these schools cost $60 - $100k Canadian per year. With financial aid they become much more affordable depending on your own personal situation and your financial needs. Often the reduction takes it into similar financial costs as going to a Canadian University.

The majority of NCAA hockey programs do have scholarships available. The amounts of scholarships vary depending on the program. On average teams will have between 12 and 16 full scholarships available. Coaches will sometimes split up scholarships to offer partials to some players. The balance of the team is made up of walk on or full tuition paying players. The scholarships are not guaranteed. They are year to year. It is not often that schools decommit before the player arrives or suspend scholarships while active, but it has happened on rare occasions.

Canadian schools do not have athletic scholarships in the way that

the U.S. schools do. Canadian schools have however become very creative and competitive by offering bursaries and financial aid that allow for players to get very economical deals to play hockey at Canadian schools. With the level of play being so high and the costs being so reasonable, do not overlook the Canadian schools.

Coaching at Canadian Universities is exceptional and the ability for players to play 5 years of hockey as opposed to 4 years of NCAA eligibility is attractive for these players. If you are offered a partial scholarship in the U.S. it may make more sense to play in Canada.

Once again, depends on the player’s wants and needs.

What is the difference between Division 1 and Division 3?

Is there a Division 2? Which league is better?

The highest level of hockey in the U.S. is NCAA Division 1. The NCAA has not sponsored a Division 2 level as there is a lack of teams at that level. The Northeast 10 conference does have a few Division 2 hockey teams but none are women’s teams. Many programs operate other sports through Division 2 or 3 but are considered Div 1 in hockey.

Women’s NCAA is predominantly Division 1, Division 3 and club teams. Only Division 1 teams offer scholarships for athletics.

The ACHA is an independent Association from the NCAA and has Division 1 and 3 teams as well. ACHA Div 1 teams are on par with NCAA Div 3 teams in general with a few of the better ACHA Div 1 teams playing and competing well against some NCAA Div 1 teams in non conference exhibition type games.

With Title 9 enforcement in the U.S. schools must offer an equal amount of female scholarships as male scholarships. This has created some situations where schools have female programs without male Div 1 programs. Going forward it is expected that many more schools are contemplating both men’s and women’s hockey programs.

Division 3 hockey has some tremendous programs however they are all financial aid based and do not offer scholarships.

Generally speaking both Div1 NCAA and U Sports programs are of a higher caliber. There are however some tremendous academic opportunities at these Division 3 schools. It is important to remember that every school has academic scholarships even if they do not do athletic scholarships.

Often schools can top up an athletic scholarship with academic scholarship money or financial aid schools (like Ivy schools) can offer academic money to aid the student athlete. These academic scholarships are competitive so keep your grades up ladies!

In Closing, Opportunities for young women are endless in sports now as it relates to university and college. As the sport evolves and develops we are all hopeful that a viable and sustainable pro model is developed in the near future. A few semi pro leagues have popped up in North America, NWHL, as well as the PWHPA which are both angling to create an association with the NHL. (We will not tackle that discussion here). Similar to what was established by the NBA and WNBA. There are semi-pro leagues in Europe, with Sweden being the most recognized. Parity at the professional level is a long way away however we are hopeful that something significant can be done for these tremendous athletes. The level of play is always highlighted at the National team levels in Canada and the U.S. with other countries closing the gap. The more players, the better the product will be.

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Panthers Home Game Schedule

Stouffville

Sun, Oct 17 7:30 PM Collingwood Fri, Oct 22 7:30 PM

Milton

Mon, Oct 25 12:30 PM

Brantford

Fri, Oct 29 7:30 PM

Oakville

Tue, Nov 02 1:30 PM

Stouffville

Tue, Nov 09 3:30 PM Collingwood Fri, Nov 12 7:30 PM

Aurora

Sun, Nov 21 7:30 PM

Markham

Fri, Nov 26 7:30 PM

Markham

Fri, Dec 03 7:30 PM

Collingwood

Sun, Dec 12 7:30 PM

Stouffville

Sun, Dec 19 7:30 PM

Georgetown

Sat, Jan 02 7:30 PM

Aurora

Georgetown

Sat, Jan 16 7:30 PM

Milton

Mon, Jan 18 3:30 PM

Brantford

Thu, Jan 21 7:30 PM

Markham

Sat, Jan 23 7:30 PM

Aurora

Thu, Jan 28 7:30 PM

Collingwood

Thu, Feb 04 7:30 PM

Burlington

Thu, Feb 11 7:30 PM

Oakville

Mon, Feb 15 7:30 PM

Aurora

Thu, Feb 18 8:30 PM

Markham

Sat, Feb 20 7:30 PM

Stouffville

Thu, Feb 25 7:30 PM

Stouffville

Mon, Mar 01 7:30 PM

Burlington

Thu, Mar 04 7:30 PM

Mon, Jan 11 2:30 PM

Photo by Tim Bates OJHL Images

Pickeringpanthers.pointstreaksites.com

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A Parent’s Guide to Buying High-end Hockey Sticks By: Joey Walsh HockeyStickMan.ca responsive to hold (heavier sticks are generally full of resin and therefore do not perform as well).

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It is important for parents to know that the desired hockey sticks of today are made of high-quality expensive materials. The primary purpose of this is creating lightweight sticks with unbelievable performance capabilities, whereas heavier, less expensive sticks are typically much more durable. It is entirely understandable that your son/daughter would want a high-quality stick but making smart decisions about buying is key to keeping your hockey stick budget under control! Below is a quick snapshot of what parents and players should know; 1. Basic Sizing | Sticks are conveniently broken down into size classifications such as Youth, Junior, Intermediate, and Senior. As they progress, the flex rating increases, and the shaft and blade get bigger accordingly. Start by looking at sticks with a flex rating of approx. half your child’s body weight, then make sure it is tall enough to reach his/her nose when standing flat footed without skates. If you do not buy within the correct size parameters you will not be getting the top end performance that you have paid for, regardless of the overall quality or how recent the stick is.

However, one size does not fit all, players that are taller, play frequently, and / or like taking slap shots might find a slightly stiffer flex to be beneficial whereas shorter players and / or kids that take more quick release shots may opt for a flex rating a little below half their body weight.

2. Quality | The difference between a performance stick and discount models will make a bigger impact than you might think.

I have heard from hundreds of people that are shocked at how much of an impact a high-quality stick had on their game. Here are some key pre-ice identifiers of a quality hockey stick: •

The Feel | Most brands will have three different price points on similar looking sticks. The difference is the materials used and the weight. Typically the lighter the stick the higher the quality, but even more important is that the weight is evenly distributed (lower end sticks tend to have heavy blades and are therefore bottom heavy), and it should feel light and

The Specifications|True One-Piece construction with 100% carbon fiber and an overall weight of less than 430 Grams in SR/INT and 400 in JR is ideal for performance driven purchases. This isn’t always something that you will be able to tell by picking up a stick, so it is important to do your research beforehand.

3. Pattern | Choosing the correct curve is so much easier than it ever used to be. Though lots of pros use custom curves, there are only a few different options at the retail level now; they come with a standard lie angle, and all brands offer roughly the same curves. What’s important is that you find the curve you think is best for your game and stick to it. I have used the same curve for 20 years and it just so happens to be by far the most popular pattern in hockey now at every level from Pro, College, to Junior and in stores. If you’re not sure I always recommend the Blade 1 Pattern (Bauer P92, CCM P29, True TC2, Warrior W03). If you find that your kid’s shots are getting up too high you may want to try what we call Blade 2 (Bauer P88, CCM P80, True MC, Warrior W88).

For the danglers of the world, our Blade 6 (Bauer P28, CCM P28, True TC4, Warrior W28) has emerged as a popular option for those focused on stickhandling.

4. The Stick | Once you know the correct size, quality and pattern for you then it is time to select a stick. In the first few years of hockey it won’t make a lot of difference. They must learn the game and how to shoot before they can really get much of a performance boost from any stick, no matter the price point.

Many of your sons and daughters will be influenced by what the top players in the NHL or what other kids on their team are using. Being a father myself I understand the urge to buy exactly what they want, and although its often expensive, a top-quality stick that will likely last them the whole year may be worth it. If they aren’t picky about the make and model, you can often find a high-end stick on sale that is a year or two older This is usually a great option as the technology doesn’t change massively year to year and as long as they are stored properly, sticks do not suffer at all by sitting on the shelf. The biggest issue is that as kids grow stronger, they begin to break their sticks more often, which parents, Junior, College and even pro teams can find difficult to pay for. At this point, many parents start to look for solutions that still meet the first three criteria outlined, but perhaps with more flexibility on different makes and models. In fact, as players make it onto higher level teams that supply sticks for them, there are often limitations on what they can use until the time they make it to the NHL.

For more in depth information on hockey sticks you can visit the University section of our website at hockeystickman.com or check out some of the options that we recommend at our all new Canadian site at hockeystickman.ca.

Visit HOCKEYSTICKMAN.CA

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Whitby West

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COACH KERRY CORBETT Whitby Football Club (FC)

By Total Sports Durham

Kerry is a passionate and very experienced female coach in both the recreational and competitive soccer streams, spanning age groups U3 through adult. She has spent almost all of her coaching career at Whitby FC, developing skilled, confident and creative players.

Recognizing that a coach’s influence on a young player should be taken very seriously, Kerry’s coaching philosophy emphasizes long term development while having fun in a disciplined environment. Kerry’s coaching methods encourage respect, sportsmanship, competitiveness, problem solving and teamwork while growing players technically, tactically, socialemotionally and physically.

Throughout the pandemic Kerry has been keeping players motivated through optional online training, encouraging players to share videos highlighting their efforts and accomplishments.

Players are then showcased on her social media, much to their delight.

Recognizing that coaching females is very different than coaching males, Kerry has been very active in identifying and mentoring future female coaches, including welcoming parents to her coaching staff and providing training/mentoring. Kerry often invites the club’s teen players to assist with her female LTPD teams as wonderful role models. Her own daughter, Alyssa, has been a competitive coach and a referee with the club and continues to visit past players when she’s home from university. Years later the players still ask about Alyssa and when they will have an opportunity to see her next. The resulting bond has been very inspiring and beneficial for everyone involved!

When a concussion forced Kerry to hang up her game cleats, Kerry joined the Steering Committee for ‘Heads Up! Durham’, representing players, parents and coaches in promoting her passion for concussion awareness and prevention within Durham Region. She continues to be an active player in this space.

CERTIFICATIONS From Ontario Soccer: 1.

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4.

5.

6.

Community Coach – Children; Youth; Senior FUNdamentals Learn to Train Making Ethical Decisions Concussion Protocol – Making Headway in Soccer Ontario Soccer C-Licence Certified

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Emotional Intelligence and Building Stronger Relationships – Coaches Association of Ontario Diploma in Sports and Exercise Nutrition

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COACHING INVOLVEMENT AT WHITBY FC • • • • • • • •

Competitive lead coach since 2009 (Girls: 2001, 2011, 2013) Recreational coach for over 8 years (Boys 2004 consistently plus adhoc as needed) Lead coach for U7 FUNdamentals program as an introduction to U8 LTPD Lead coach for ‘U3 the Ball and Me’ program Assessment of players during the trial/assessment process Part of the team ensuring Return to Play ran smoothly per COVID protocols Technical coach for Brace Academy and Individual Skills Development programs Involved in Female Coach Mentorship Programs with Ontario Soccer, Durham Region Soccer Association, and Whitby FC

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TOTAL SPORTS DURHAM

The

Fox

Goes Free Pub

Sports Teams & Beer Leagues Ask about our “Dine to Donate” Program Launching in December 2021 ... pre register your team today!!

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As sports enthusiasts and proud members of residents of Durham Region, the Fox Goes Free team is pleased to support teams in our community.

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TOTALSPORTSDURHAM.CA

ADVANTAGES TO USING A

Skating Treadmill

In the world of hockey training there are an endless number of techniques, tools and programs that are designed to improve fundamental skills. Choosing the right program depends on several different variables. A player’s age, strength and skill level are just a few factors that a hockey player would consider when choosing an on-ice or dryland training program to suit their game.

One off-ice training tool that is growing in popularity is the skating treadmill. For those who have not seen a skating treadmill in action, it is very similar to a regular running treadmill except it is designed for hockey players. The player usually wears the bottom half of their equipment and skates and is strapped into an overhead harness which protects them if they fall. The skating treadmill is equipped with a heavier rubber bottom which allows players to wear their skates and can also be adjusted for speed and incline like a traditional treadmill.

The first advantage of training on a skating treadmill is that it allows the coach to focus on skating mechanics with particular attention on the stride. There are so many great hockey skills and power skating schools out there but how often does a player and coach get to break down and analyze the actual biomechanics of skating? With the treadmill, players work one-on-one with a coach who focuses on improving body position and the skating stride.

The coach is right there with the athlete so that corrections can be made while the athlete is skating. Having the ability to provide real-time feedback is something that is not always possible on the ice, especially when a coach is working with multiple players.

Another advantage to the treadmill is that it can benefit players from all skill and age levels. For younger players, it improves muscle memory on both the extension and recovery stride. As a minor hockey coach, I have seen players develop “bad habits” on the ice and once that player becomes accustomed to skating with poor body position or technique it is very difficult to break.

The treadmill forces players to lengthen their stride and maximize their recovery which can help improve a “choppy” skater’s muscle memory. In addition to stride, the treadmill also helps improve body position and arm drive which are both important to a player’s overall skating technique. Ultimately the player can then transfer these skills on the ice. For older, more experienced skaters, who have already developed an advanced skating technique, the

treadmill can be used as a tool to improve endurance and speed.

Much like an on-ice practice a session on the treadmill consists of a warm-up followed by a number of drills that are designed based on the player’s skill level. Because the coach can adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill athletes can develop a baseline so that they can see improvement over several sessions. Depending on what specific skill a player is looking to improve, the skating treadmill is worth looking into, especially if your focus is on skating mechanics.

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TOTALSPORTSDURHAM.CA

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